After suffering a 3-0 defeat in the semi-finals against Argentina, Croatia is back training in Doha for the third-place playoff against Morocco.
Although the third-place match is often viewed as a friendly one, Croatian forward Andrej Kramarić, set the record straight. He said both Morocco and Croatia will fight for the bronze medal.
“They’re fighting for their lives because if you win a medal at a World Cup you become an immortal hero in your country. That’s the same thing we are going to do,” said the Croatian forward during a press conference.
Luka Modric and his team were comfortably beaten by a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina on Tuesday.
For 37-year-old Modric, Saturday’s match is likely to be his final World Cup appearance.
The midfielder has won 161 caps for his country since his debut in 2006.
Meanwhile, Morocco will be looking to bounce back from their 2-0 loss to France.
Despite going 1-0 down in the opening minutes, the Atlas Lions fought valiantly and refused to buckle.
Helped by their buoyant supporters, they pushed the reigning champions in the second half but eventually conceded a second goal.
The Atlas Lions might have missed out on a place in the final but they’ll want to wrap up a fairytale run in this World Cup with a historic third-place finish.
The third-place playoffs will kick off on Saturday.
On Sunday, France and Argentina will lock horns to determine who will win football’s most prestigious trophy.
